Erik Papke at Vintage Lending

Cinema al fresco, anyone?

Celebrate gold in your backyard with an outdoor theater There will never be a better time to go all in and turn your backyard into a movie-watching and sporting event oasis...

Bonds in slightly negative territory on news of Biden dipping out of election. Let's see how the week unfolds.

Three things that could impact rates this week These are the three areas that have the greatest ability to impact rates this week. 1) Inflation, 2) Central Banks and 3) Report Card...

Home insurance coverage and cost are becoming another barrier to an already limited and expensive housing market. C'mon Commish, get this fixed.

Home insurance rates: Round and round they go. Where they stop, nobody knows Unchecked. Unabated. Both words describe what appears to be happening with...

Homeownership costs involve more than just the price and rate.

The hidden costs of homeownership in high-risk areas When Dorothy got knocked senseless in a movie tornado, experienced the amazing land of Oz, and...

Hurray for softening inflation data! CPI came in lower and rates are dipping as bonds rally.

Markets get a boost on lower than expected CPI The June headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) was lower than expected with a MOM gain of 0.1% versus estimates of...

I wouldn't have thought this state topped the list on lowest energy costs.

Energy costs; Not all states are created equal There are myriad reasons people might move. The cost of...

Bonds slightly improved on mixed data, erasing yesterday's weakness so far.

Initial Weekly Jobless Claims remain low Initial Weekly Jobless Claims were better than expected, 233K versus estimates of 236K. The four week moving average moved...

Not everyone may love those furry friends as much as we do.

Using pets as props to sell a home? Not a great idea The effects of home staging are well known by now. Enticing online photos are, after all, the first hook for many buyers...

Keep your thoughts to yourself when touring a home. Someone may be watching and listening.

Advice: Stifle exuberance or critiques when touring a home for sale You might spend hours scrolling through photos of homes for sale. Some offer...

Mortgage bonds relatively calm today. Rates have trended lower since late April highs, now at lowest level since February. Home inventory and home sales trending upwards. Is the housing market turning a corner as rates ease?

Markets calm with little economic news today Yesterday the 10 year note yield increased 4 bps, this morning the note began down 4 bps. No serious news overnight but in Europe...

Don't pass up those old listings. You may find a gem.

Stale listings; Diamonds in the rough? There’s a buyer for every home. Or is there?

Furnishing your new home

What happens when you grow up but your furniture doesn’t? When the scale of your furniture reflects IKEA instead of...

Rates dip on slowing inflation data.

The May Producer Price Index beat expectations by contracting The May headline Producer Price Index (PPI) contracted by -0.2% versus estimates of +0.1% on a MOM basis. YOY it was...

Pickleball, anyone?

Pickleball right in your own backyard? Why not? Pickleball. The sport became a thing in the summer of 1965, when its founders...

Rates improve this week ahead of Jobs and CPI data tomorrow.

Initial Weekly Jobless Claims higher than expected The May Challenger Grey Job Cuts were 63,816 which was pretty much the same pace as April. Initial Weekly...

Need to install AC, or maybe thinking about a pool? Reach out for options to finance your remodel. Whether to beat the heat, do a cosmetic makeover or a full scale remodel with additions, we have various financing options to transform your home. www.LoanIsClosed.com

Beat this summer’s intense heat by getting your home’s act together now It’s coming. The kind of heat dramatized in an old episode of Twilight Zone, where...

Listings tick up as some buyers remain on the fence waiting for rates to come down.

While real estate is a numbers game, the market is slowly creeping toward balance Seems anyone and everyone interested in real estate is getting whiplash trying to figure out what the daily news portends...

Local case study: Insurance in California has become more challenged, even in areas less prone to disaster.

Buying in natural disaster areas with eyes wide open Sometimes it’s hard to believe that places as beautiful as Florida or as stately as North Carolina hold the potential for disaster...

Rates dip back to last week's range on slightly lower than expected PCE.

Markets rally as PCE data meets expectations Inflation in April didn’t increase or decrease; the estimates markets were expecting were exactly in line with the data...

A small break for rates which have inched up recently.

1st Quarter GDP revised lower Initial Weekly Jobless Claims hit 219K versus estimates of 218K. The four week moving average ticked up to...

Temporary rate buydowns make all the sense in the current housing market and rates environments. We have lender paid options for these as well. 1-3% lower rate the first 1 to 3 years. Reach out for details.

The lowdown on the buydown Builders do it as an incentive to sell new construction, so why not the sellers of resale homes?